9 Amazing Things about Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

Saratoga Springs Resort is a Disney Vacation Club property on the
lake near Downtown Disney Marketplace. It also borders the Lake Buena
Vista Golf Course. It is reminiscent of a New York horse racing
community during the Victorian era. The architecture represents this
1800 time period well and you will spot details that bring the horses
into the theming. The resort even has a motto “Health, History, Horses”.
The villas are upscale and quite comfortable. Make sure you find the
large statue of a race horse wearing his/her blanket of roses, with the
jockey still on top.

9. You do not have to be a DVC Member

Even if you are not part of the Disney Vacation Club you still have
an opportunity to rent the same rooms/villas from those that are
available. If you stay with DVC points you do not have daily
housekeeping. If you are paying cash for the rooms you will have daily
housekeeping.

There are over 500 2-bedroom vacation
homes and 24 3-bedroom Grand Villas available. These are perfect for
families that like to share spaces and make many of their own meals
themselves. There are two larger pools, the Paddock Pool and the High Rock Spring Pool. At High RockSpring Pool
you will find yourself looking at the beautiful water then wandering up
through the rocks to a bubbling spring at the top. The water trickles
down the rocks and inside the rocky area is a twisty, fun 125-foot long
water slide for kids to enjoy. For adults there are two, yes two,
whirlpool spas to enjoy. There is a water play area nearby for the
younger kids to enjoy. The Paddock Pool
also has a kid’s water play area. There are additional leisure or quiet
pools located in the different sections of the resort and include hot
tubs.

Congress Park (closest to Downtown
Disney), The Springs (closest to Carriage House check-in, restaurants,
and transportation, The Paddock (closest to playground, swimming pool,
quick-service food, bus stops), The Carousel, and The Grandstand (close
to first bus stop of the resort, a quiet pool and kids area, also bus
stop for Treehouse Villas). Each has some theming in the courtyard areas
and gardens surrounding them. For instance at The Carousel you will
find a beautiful gazebo that has cut-outs of carousel horses encircling
it. The walkways and gardens throughout the resort are quiet and well
maintained.

Several different types of rooms are available including the Studio Villas-these
sleep four adults with one queen-size and one full-size sofa bed. There
is one bathroom to share, wet bar, microwave, coffee-maker, and a small
refrigerator. Each Villa also has a porch or a balcony. These are 355-square feet. One- and two-bedroom Villas
have a master suite that includes a king-size bed, small safe in the
private closet, a private bath with a whirlpool tub that will certainly
be enjoyed at the end of a long day walking in the parks. These larger
Villas have a living room and a full kitchen that includes microwave,
coffee-maker, toaster, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, and even pots
and pans to cook with and dinnerware to eat from. Another great perk is
the stacked washer/dryer combo to keep your laundry under control and
getting it done in the privacy and comfort of your own Villa. The TV’s
have DVD players that will help keep people entertained while resting.
The one-bedroom Villa sleeps up to eight guests and the two-bedroom
sleeps up to 8 guests. Want to really crank up the comfort level? Then
you want the Grand Villa.
The Grand Villa is two-stories and can accommodate up to 12. It is a
huge 2, 113-square feet of luxury. Surround sound on the TV’s, 2
bathrooms, full kitchen, dining table that seats 12, laundry room,
King-size bed in Master and 2 queen-sized beds in the other two bedrooms
and even a private entry. The Club Level Lagoon View are very nice with
an outstanding view and rent for the highest amounts.

Including playgrounds, water-play
areas, DVD players with the living room televisions, movies at night by
the pool, board games at the Turf Club and the Community Hall has other
games to play, including the Win Place Show Arcade.

Horsing Around Rentals
offers some Sports options including bicycles, surrey bicycles, tennis,
basketball, and shuffleboard equipment. They will also help you book
fishing excursions, specialty cruises and other watersports options.
There is a Spa and Fitness Center on property with a full-service menu
for guests to select treatments from. There is a jogging path through
the property and of course golf on the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course.
Disney’s Saratoga Springs is the only Disney resort with a golf course.
The pools are nicely themed and have hot tubs available near them.

The Turf Club Bar & Grill
is the table service restaurant on property that has seating both
inside and out. It is a casual restaurant that is suitable for the
family. You will find a billiard area inside and a large-screen
television. The Paddock Grill is found near the Paddock Pool area and serves breakfast and lunch at quick-service counters. Nearby is the On-the-Rocks Pool Bar that serves both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Since most guests make use of the kitchens in their Villas, the Artist’s Palette
sells merchandise and groceries and even has a counter-service dining
area. This place has great flatbreads. The seating is very comfortable
for a food court. You can pick up some grab-and-go items that include
family-size packages of pasta, meat loaf, a made-to-order sandwich or a
fresh-made salad. You will find breakfast items as well as more
groceries. They have many beverage choices to grab and return to your
room with including milk, juices, sodas, beer, wine and liquor. While
there you can also shop for apparel, Disney plush, baby supplies, books,
and jewelry. If you still find yourselves hungry and too tired to leave
your Villa, you can order Pizza to be delivered to your room! If you
get the urge to BBQ, no problem, they have it covered too. You will find
grills ready for you to use near the leisure pools.

This has to be the coolest lodging on
Walt Disney World property. Imagine living in the treetops during your
Walt Disney World vacation! You may remember seeing Treehouses in the
woods while gliding down the Sassagoula River on a ferry boat to
Downtown Disney. These original treehouses existed from 1975-2002. The
Imagineers knew it was time to update the treehouses and were restricted
to not exceed the original footprint of these treehouses. But they did
one better, of course, they actually reduced the encroachment by
70-percent. There are significant wetlands surrounding the treehouses
that are now less effected by the new treehouse villa design. The
Imagineers were able to recycle 65-percent of the materials from the
original treehouses. There are 60 Treehouse Villas available now, each
constructed on-site, 10-feet in the air. These are not like the
treehouses we built in our backyards! They have three bedrooms, two
baths, a full kitchen complete with an island and granite countertops,
dining area, kitchen eating area, living room, cathedral ceilings, and
sleeping areas for up to nine guests. The Master suite has a Queen-size
bed, the second bedroom also has a Queen-size bed, the Living room has a
Queen-size sofa sleeper and a chair sleeper, the third bedroom has a
set of bunk beds. You still have access to all the other resort
amenities and you are in close proximity to Downtown Disney. As with the
other sections of the resort, the Treehouse Villas have their own
leisure pool, whirlpool spa, and each Treehouse Villa has their own
charcoal grill. Four are handicap accessible with an entrance ramp. (No
elevators with these.) The Villas are octagonal in shape, and are a
comfortable 1074-square feet in size.